Direct conversion receivers utilize baseband In-phase (I) and Quadrature (Q) components of a received signal in order to recover transmitted information. The I and Q components may be first converted to digital via Analog to Digital Converters (ADC) and then processed with a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The recovery of the information signal places a significant burden on the DSP due to the sheer number of instructions needed therefor. Since DSPs are used in radios for a variety of functions, this burden results in the DSP being unable to accomplish its required tasks.
To alleviate this loading problem, designers have used dedicated ICs between the ADCs and the DSP. These ICs include, among other things, look up tables that significantly speed up the recovery process. However, these ICs are too large and too costly. As the size and cost of portable communication devices shrink, a need is felt for an alternative approach in demodulating the phase.sub.-- in a Zero Intermediate Frequency (ZIF) signal without the size and cost burdens of the prior art.